Decatur County Prison Warden Elijah McCoy has accepted a job as Decatur County’s interim EMS Director during the transition from Decatur County EMS to Grady EMS of Atlanta scheduled for later this year.
McCoy will continue to work as the prison’s warden.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” McCoy said. “I want to make things run as smoothly as possible as we get ready for the privatization of the EMS.”
Larry Battle, the current EMS Director, is resigning from the position June 6. Battle has been with Decatur County EMS for 28 years.
Decatur County administrator Gary Breedlove said McCoy was a good person to help lead EMS during the transition.
“He knows our operation, he knows our people, he knows how to manage people, he’ll be a familiar face to our folks so our transition is smooth,” Breedlove said.
Breedlove also said McCoy will be helping with the renovation of the Decatur County EMS building. Many of the crews providing manual labor during the process will be prison inmates, who McCoy oversees.
“I just want to go down there, help with the remodeling of the building and be there for the employees,” McCoy said.
The renovations will begin Monday and Breedlove said he estimates them to be finished by the end of June.
The Decatur County Board of Commissioners discussed hiring McCoy as the interim EMS Director in closed session at the County Commission meeting Tuesday. The discussion came after the board agreed to enter into a contract agreement with Grady EMS for a private medical service. They are expected to be fully operational in Decatur County by September at the latest.
According to Breedlove, Battle has offered to provide any consulting assistance that is needed over the next few months.